Harry Potter star Evanna Lynch apologises to transgender fans for JK Rowling comments

‘I think it’s irresponsible to discuss such a delicate topic over Twitter and I wish Jo wouldn’t,' said the actor

Actor Evanna Lynch has said that she is “so saddened” that trans people have felt “abandoned” by the Harry Potter franchise following comments made by author JK Rowling.

On Saturday (6 June), the children’s author was criticised for a series of “transphobic” tweets criticising an article for using the phrase “people who menstruate”, with many accusing the author of rejecting the young transgender fans who had found a community in her books.

In response, Lynch, who played Luna Lovegood in the film series, shared a lengthy post to Twitter on Tuesday (9 June) directly addressing Harry Potter fans.

“I wanted to stay out of commenting on JKR’s tweets because it feels impossible to address this subject on Twitter but I am so saddened to see trans people feeling abandoned by the HP community so here are my thoughts,” the actor wrote.

“I imagine that being trans and learning to accept and love yourself is challenging enough and we as a society should not be adding to that pain. Feeling like you don’t fit in or aren’t accepted for who you are are the worst, most lonely feelings a human can experience and I won’t be helping to marginalise trans women and men further.”

Saying that we should “listen to” and “applaud” trans people for their bravery, especially during Pride Month, Lynch continued: “Personally, I don’t think Twitter is the right place to have this very complex conversation and we should be reading articles and memoirs, listening to podcasts and having long-form conversations. I think it’s irresponsible to discuss such a delicate topic over Twitter through fragmented thoughts and I wish Jo wouldn’t.”

Highlighting Rowling’s philanthropic work and describing the author as “a generous and loving person,” Lynch wrote: “I disagree with her opinion that cis-women are the most vulnerable minority in this situation and I think she’s on the wrong side of this debate. But that doesn’t mean she has completely lost her humanity.”

She added: ‘I’m so sorry to any trans people who feel that’s been taken away or that this community is no longer that safe place. But the Harry Potter world/fandom/community is literally made up of millions of people now and I for one will work to make it feel inclusive because trans women are women.”

Lynch’s comments follow an essay written by Daniel Radcliffe in the light of Rowling’s comments, with the actor writing: “Transgender women are women. Any statement to the contrary erases the identity and dignity of transgender people and goes against all advice given by professional health care associations who have far more expertise on this subject matter than either Jo or I.”